


taken by force, twist of fate, desire

by whenever_you_are_ready_spock



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Hurt/Comfort, I do not even know, I just started writing and this happened, M/M, emotions my dudes, rey and rose ship it, what happens after the war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22549411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whenever_you_are_ready_spock/pseuds/whenever_you_are_ready_spock
Summary: The days after the win have been tough. The resources where short; the losses hurt, the people were tired, but they somehow had to tie up the loose ends; rebuild a society that seemed to be lost.Finn sits next to Poe in the mass hall; their legs touch under the table and Finn stares at the man next to him. His hair is standing up in every direction; his eyes are concentrated on the papers in front of him; his lip trapped between his worrying teeth. Poe looks tired. Finn looks tired as well.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Kudos: 90





	taken by force, twist of fate, desire

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, so I don't really know what happened haha I just sat down and wrote this all in one go. I hope you enjoy it. The title is "A Ton of Love" by Editors - check it out :D

The days after the win have been tough. The resources where short; the losses hurt, the people were tired, but they somehow had to tie up the loose ends; rebuild a society that seemed to be lost.

Finn sits next to Poe in the mass hall; their legs touch under the table and Finn stares at the man next to him. His hair is standing up in every direction; his eyes are concentrated on the papers in front of him; his lip trapped between his worrying teeth. Poe looks tired. Finn looks tired as well.

“Poe”, Finn says, his hand gently touching Poe’s shoulder, “maybe it is time to go to sleep now”, he says and Poe sighs deeply before he puts the pen down.

“I really need to finish this up. If we are lucky when can actually pack camp tomorrow and move all those people to a more permanent location”, Poe says, his eyes still fixed on the papers.

“But you need sleep. We all need to rest”, Finn says, a yawn clinging to his lips.

“I know”, Poe says, his voice is weak lately. There is a pure exhaustion about him that makes Finn want to put him into bed and let him sleep for three days at least.

“I can have a look over those papers, you know. I am as much of a general as you are”, Finn smiles softly, and Poe is looking up to him now, mirrored expressions.

“I don’t want you to work all through the night, buddy”, Poe sighs and runs a hand through his hair, stretching his back.

“Hypocrite”, Finn smirks and Poe smirks at him quickly.

“Well, I was general before you, so I get to decide”

“That’s not how it works, Poe”

Poe just looks at him then, his gaze glassy and tired and Finn stares back. They hold their gaze for some time; the cool breeze from the night-time jungle dancing through Poe’s hair.

“Let’s catch some sleep”, Poe says then and Finn nods. They get up; Poe ruffles the papers together into one pile and tucks them under his arm before he grabs the mug with caf and follows Finn towards their makeshift rooms.

"I can get up in the morning to finish those”, Finn says as they reach his door; Poe shakes his head gently.

“You get some rest. This will be finished in no time”, Poe says and Finn raises his eyebrow.

“I swear to the force, Dameron. If you keep working on those papers now instead of going to sleep I will use my new force powers on you”

Poe laughs at that. A real laugh which Finn hasn’t heard in quite a few days.

“Are you going to make a rock float around me all day?”, Poe teases and Finn crosses his arms in front of his chest; hugging out a little breath of annoyance.

“I am joking. You are doing great for only practising for such a few days. I am proud of you”, Poe says and he smiles up to Finn; so honest and open and Finn cannot help himself but blush a little bit.

“Rey is doing most of the work”, he mumbles and Poe smirks before he takes a sip of his cold caf.

“I think that’s not how the force works, buddy”, he winks at Finn then before he slowly turns away, “Anyways, hope you can get some rest. I see you tomorrow”, Poe says before he starts to walk away and Finn swallows hard before he hurries a quick “Sleep well” over his lips.

He watches Poe walk away until he reaches his own door and disappears behind it. The light under the closed door is illuminating the floor in front of his room and Finn sighs deeply before he runs his hands across his face.

He closes his own door behind himself and switches off the light. He needs some sleep.

“General, we are doing everything we can to help the Resistance. However, we do not have enough supplies for all your men. I can offer you a few days of rest, but this cannot be permanent. We have counted the crops and the water – but our people come first. I am sorry”, the Queen is standing in front of Poe; her green features crunched up apologetically.

Poe wants to scream. He understands that they care for their own; however, the Resistance has to regroup; has to reassemble and this cannot work from jungle base consisting of broken ships.

“I understand that”, Poe says, his jaw tight and his head pounding, “We are thankful for every single day you can offer us”, he says, and the Queen is shaking his hand then.

They will be able to stay for a week, maybe a little longer. Poe will have enough time to find a new escape. There are still enough threats out there, still enough people that want to see the Resistance burn to the ground.

“You are unconcentrated today”, Rey says as he sits across from Finn on the grass.

Finn looks up at her, his hands fumbling with the all to familiar jacket he has always felt safest in.

“I am… sorry, I know”, he sighs, and Rey cocks an eyebrow at him.

“Anything in particular?”

“No”, Finn says, and Rey smiles slightly.

“You know, one thing about a force bond is the ability to immediately tell when someone is lying”

Finn looks up at her and rolls his eyes quickly before he leans back in the grass, staring up towards the sky.

“I just feel bad because I am out here training with you all day while Poe has to fix the whole Resistance”, Finn spills; the leaves of the trees shaking in the wind; the clouds chasing over the sky.

“Finn”, Rey says and lays her hand onto his; their fingers linking, “do not ever feel bad about discovering your true self. This is as important as the rest. Poe knows what he is doing; he has been prepared for this moment for his whole life. You only now found out what you are capable of doing”, she says and Finn looks her into the eyes and he knows that she is right; knows that Rey’s words make sense.

“He just looks so tired all the time and I can never really help him with any of the paper stuff because I am too exhausted after training with you”

“It is an honourable feature to care so deeply about your friends, Finn, but you need to put yourself first now. Poe will ask for help if he needs any”

“Will he, though?”, Finn raises his eyebrow and Rey huffs out a laugh.

“Yeah okay, maybe not”, she says, making Finn smile in return.

“How about I check in on him today? I can help him while you get some rest?”, Rey suggests then and Finn nods slowly.

“I mean… I can come along” Finn says and Rey has a strange expression on her face then; her lips parted in a strange smile Finn has not seen before.

“What?”

“Nothing”, Rey says, before she tightens her grip on Finn’s hand and pulls him up with her, “Let’s get back to training, okay?”

Poe is sitting at his usual spot in the mass hall as Finn and Rey return from their daily training session. However, today he looked even more stressed out than usual.

“Hey”, Rey says as they approach him and Poe looks up at them, not even trying to fool them with a smile.

“Hey”, he says and cracks the knuckles of his hands before he leans back in his chair, “How was the training?”, he asks, his gaze lingering on Finn.

“Good. Had some trouble concentrating first but then it was all good”, Finn says and Poe nods, a quick hush of a smile sliding over his face.

“How are you doing? How is the search for base going?”, Rey asks as she hops on the table and lets her eyes wander over the papers lying everywhere across it.

“Could be better”, Poe says and there is a strain on his voice that makes Finn flinch. He sounds exhausted; tired; hopeless. Finn hates that tone on him; hates the fact that Poe cannot seem to catch a break. That they all cannot seem to catch a break, “We can stay for a week, maybe a little longer. But no long-term solution yet. We have received some signals that enemy ships are closing in and… we just… I cannot make anyone go back out there again and fight. It’s too soon”, Poe sighs deeply as he stares at the wall in front of him and Rey furrows her brows while Finn sits down next to Poe and wraps an arm around him.

“Hey, it will be okay. They will not find us. They have no idea we are based here. Probably just some routine flights”, he tries but he hears his own shaky voice; hears how unconvinced he sounds himself.

“Take a break, Poe”, Rey says with a soft smile, a soft hand resting on Poe’s shoulder, “Let’s move base and tonight you take a break and we all start searching for a solution tomorrow”

“I can do it. Finn needs his training, it’s important”, Poe says.

“This is equally important”, Finn chirps in and Poe looks over at him.

“You need to figure this whole force thing out. Don’t worry about this”

“Don’t tell me what to worry about and what not”, Finn huffs out; annoyance streaming through his voice.

“You need to train this power. It is nothing to be taken lightly. The force can mess people up if they do not know what to do with it”

“You don’t have to tell me, Poe. I have seen it. I have lived through it!”, Finn raises his voice and Poe’s brows furrow as Finn lifts his arm from Poe’s shoulder.

“I have my own experiences with that kriffin stuff”, Poe bites back and Finn rolls his eyes before he turns away from Poe a little.

“Guys, stop fighting over this. We are all exhausted”, Rey tries but Finn is getting up from the chair and walking a few feet away.

“I cannot believe you sometimes. Do you expect me to turn to the dark side, or what?”, Finn shouts now and Poe is just staring at him now; his eyes big and his lips tightly shut, “I know what that feels like. I have been there! I am doing everything I can not to ever have contact with those people again; those dark powers. Do you really think I do not know how kriffin dangerous this is? Do you really think I am not afraid of those powers every single day?”, Finn screams; his eyes watering up at the last sentence; his body shaking.

“Finn, buddy. I didn’t mean it like that”, Poe says; all the anger has slipped out of his system as he watches Finn crumble in front of them. Poe gets up and reaches for Finn’s hand, but he backs away and shakes his head.

“I didn’t ask for this. I just want a normal life. I thought you would understand”, Finn sniffles before he turns around and leaves. Poe keeps standing in the middle of the mass hall, his hand outstretched, reaching for nothing.

“He had a hard day, okay”, Rey says softly as he slips off the table and stands next to Poe, “I am sure he just needs some time to breathe”

Poe nods quickly; his own eyes watery as he grabs the papers from the table and clears his throat.

“We are leaving base in a few hours. You two should pack your things”, he says before he hurries off.

“Okay, everyone. I know this is not ideal, but we will have to make do until we can find something more permanent. There are not enough tents for everyone so you will have to share. If anyone has any questions, do not hesitate to ask one of us”, Poe tells his people as they are standing in front of their new temporary base. Finn is standing next to him; professional; ready to help the cause; the people; but on the inside he is still angry; he hasn’t said a word to Poe on the whole relocation process.

People start to clear out; they grab their little belongings and stuff it into the tents – Poe helps some of the injured soldiers with their sleeping bags; adjusts the tents and the lights around the camp. Finn is doing the same; but as he sees Rose he is waving towards her and she waits for him to catch up.

“Are you sharing your tent already?”, Finn asks and Rose furrows her brows before he throws a not very subtle look towards Poe on the other side of camp.

“Yeah, Rey is pairing up with me”, she says before he puts her bag down on the floor, her gaze intense, “Why are you asking, trouble in paradise?”, she smirks and Finn rolls his eyes.

“Nothing, I just wanted to ask”, Finn huffs out.

“I mean, we assumed you are sleeping in the tent with Poe”, she says and Finn bites his lips for a moment.

“Why does everyone assume that”, he bites out and Rose lifts her eyebrow.

“You two are the generals. I thought there might be some things you have to talk about which would be easier when sharing a tent”, Rose says and Finn nods after a few moments.

“Oh, yeah. That’s true”, he says and scratches the back of his head.

“But also because you two are never separated so it just makes sense”, Rose adds with a cheeky glint in her gaze before he says goodnight and disappears into the tent.

Finn is already in his sleeping bag as Poe finally crawls into the tent.

“Everyone has a spot to sleep. I also checked on the fireplace. I think it should burn until the morning. We have to make sure that we have enough food for everyone tomorrow morning, though”, Poe says while he grabs his flask and takes a few big gulps of water.

“Okay”, Finn answers and he is feeling foolish for still being angry with Poe while there are much bigger things at stake, but he cannot help it.

Poe grabs a towel from his duffle bag and pours some of the water on it before he runs it over his neck and his face; Finn is staring up at the ceiling; the words in his mind are racing and he wants to say something but he does not get it over his lips.

“Finn”, Poe starts then; he is still kneeling next to his sleeping bag, his clothes ruffled and dirty from putting up camp earlier, “I am sorry about what I said before. I did not mean to imply any of those things”, he mumbles, his hair is hanging into his face; it has been getting pretty long over the last few months.

“And I didn’t know that you feel about the force like that… I haven’t really put in the time to ask you about it in detail and I am sorry. I really am”

“Okay”, Finn says, his eyes never leaving the ceiling.

“I would love to hear more about it, though… if you want, of course. You can talk to me whenever you need to. Just so you know”, Poe says and there is a short silence between them before Poe nods quickly and starts to take off his shirt and unbutton his trousers.

Finn tugs on the material of the sleeping bag while he tries his best not to stare at Poe undressing. But then again, there is no way to avoid it really; the tent is too small to really look away anyways.

Poe slips into his own sleeping bag then; the two men are lying next to each other; the silence only interrupted by the faint sounds of the jungle around them.

“I have only ever heard of the force as something good when other troopers talked about the legends of Luke Skywalker. I only ever saw Ren and that made me believe that every higher power is used for the dark side. I was too afraid to tell any of you that I felt something that could be the force for so long. I was too scared of what it might mean”, Finn says then, his skin prickling at the thought of his old life, of his upbringing.

Poe lies next to him; his eyes fixed on Finn’s face as he talked towards the sky; his eyes shining in the dim light.

“I saw what the force did to people; what it did to people I cared about. What it did to you”, Finn’s voice starts to crack a little as he turns his head; the two men stare at each other then – their eyes connected – their hands connected as Poe reaches for Finn’s hand and grabs it tightly.

“I never thought that you could do any harm with this power, Finn. I am so sorry that I didn’t listen earlier; that I didn’t ask earlier. I was too concentrated on myself”

“Poe, it is okay. I should not have screamed at you earlier”

“Buddy, you don’t need to apologize for anything, okay”

“Still, I am sorry”

“I am sorry, too”

They are lying next to each other for a while then. It is just the wind breezing against their tent; the moonlight dipping their faces in a faded blue; their hands connected. They fall asleep like that.

The next three days fly past; they are all frantically searching for a new permanent base camp; their efforts seem fruitless; they grow more impatient by every second and Finn feels the pressure build on his shoulders.

Finn and Poe have not talked about them holding hands while sleeping. They have not addressed that they both craved the touch desperately after that one time; Finn didn’t mind as Poe slipped his fingers between Finn’s the next night again; and the night after that.

In the fourth night Poe crawls in the tent and there is an eery silence about him as he washes the days’ sweat off his face.

Finn is still up; he is stitching up the pocket on his jeans – Poe has taught him how to do a simple stitch pattern that could fix small holes. Finn stops the needle and looks up at Poe who has stopped moving and is staring at Finn.

“What?”, Finn asks and Poe just keeps on staring; his mind on a completely different plant.

“My dad has holo called”, Poe says eventually and focuses his gaze on Finn’s eyes.

“Oh”, is all Finn manages to say. He has heard a lot about Kes Dameron – but mostly from other people. Poe doesn’t talk about his childhood a lot; he mentioned his home planet; his mother; his father – but Finn doesn’t know how to respond properly.

“He wants to help”, Poe adds; his voice metallic and raw and Finn worries his lips as he watches Poe shake his head and wash the dirt from his forearms.

“He must have missed you”, Finn says eventually – he has no idea if their father and son relationship is good or not but he wants to try to best to talk to Poe about a topic Finn sadly doesn’t know a lot about.

“He did”, Poe says before he slips his shirt over his head and tosses it to the corner next to his sleeping bag. Poe’s skin is glistening with swear and grime from his X-Wing, which he tried to patch up earlier. His hair is messy and greasy, and his eyes are surrounded by dark circles.

Finn is breathless.

“I told him not to come, but he doesn’t listen to me, as usual”, Poe says then and takes a few sips of his flask before he is offering it to Finn.

“Found some alcohol”, Poe adds and Finn raises an eyebrow before he takes a sip from the flask; his face crunches up immediately and Poe barks out a loud laugh.

“You seem to enjoy it”, he jokes before he takes the flask back from Finn and screws the lid back on.

“Why don’t you want him to come?”, Finn asks then and Poe ruffles through his hair.

“I just… he isn’t the youngest anymore and I just… I don’t think he can be a big help around here”, Poe hurries out, but Finn knows that there is more to it. He feels the tension in Poe; feels it radiating right off his very being.

“But it must be nice to have him around again. When did you last see him?”

“We talk over the holo a lot” Poe says as he lies down next to Finn; he has not slipped into the sleeping bag – the night is especially humid and the air is weighing down on them, “But I haven’t been home in years”

Finn nods but he doesn’t understand. He has a hard time understanding the dynamics of families in general, but Poe is a person that carefully plans his day so that he is able to speak to all his friends constantly. He is someone that hugs and slings arms around people; someone that carries his mother’s wedding ring around his neck. Finn would have thought that Poe Dameron would be delighted to see his father again.

“You will like him”, Poe says after some time, “Constantly tells me to sleep and look after myself and take a break”, Poe grins and looks up to Finn, who is still sitting cross-legged on the floor - the ripped pants in his hands.

“Sounds like he is a lot smarter than you, then”, Finn jokes and Poe swats him playfully against the knee.

Poe closes his eyes then and Finn stares at him a little longer; his face has significantly more wrinkles than a few months ago; his hair starting to grey lightly at the sides. Finn sighs before he goes back to fixing his pants. He turns off the lights once he is done and lies down next to Poe. He can hear that the other man is still awake; Finn doesn’t feel like sleeping at all tonight.

He looks over at Poe again; watches his chest rise and fall; his eyes twitch under his eyelids. Finn reaches for Poe’s hand and wraps his fingers around it. There is a soft smile on Poe’s lips now and Finn feels his heartbeat in his ears.

He can feel Poe differently when he holds on to him – Rey has told Finn that some people are not force sensitive, but they are close, and Finn is pretty sure than Poe is one of those people. Finn feels the warmth of Poe’s hand; the warmth of Poe’s hope; of Poe’s believe that flows through his every vein. Finn feels Poe’s worry and his struggle, and he feels Poe’s anger.

Poe draws in a wobbly breath then and Finn looks up to him; there are tears rolling down his cheeks and his other hand is clutching the ring around his neck.

Finn is shuffling closer; his grip on Poe’s hand tighter as his second hand reaches for Poe’s hair. He runs his fingers through the curls and watches Poe relax a little under his touch.

“I cannot lose him too, Finn”, Poe chokes out then and Finn suddenly understands.

Poe curls into Finn’s body then; lets himself be held by the man next to him. Finn’s arms are around his shoulders and Finn feels tears prickle at his eyes as well. He has never cried over his parents; he doesn’t even know them – but he knows that it must feel close to what he is feeling though Poe now. He tightens his hold on the man in his arms and lets himself cry as well. Their tears feel like an absolution; feel like freedom to express their shared pain.

Poe brings his hands up to Finn’s face then; his thumbs trace over his tear streaked cheeks and Poe bites his lip. Finn watches his every twitch, his every movement. There has not been one single day in which Finn has not been in love with Poe. There has not been one single moment in which Poe has not been in utter awe of Finn.

Poe’s hands are resting on the side of Finn’s face now; their skin is sticky with sweat and their hearts are racing in their chests.

“Finn”, Poe breathes then and Finn stares right in his eyes; their gazes connected; their skin connected; their souls connected, “Can I kiss you?”, Poe asks.

“Please”, Finn whispers and Poe closes the distance between them; connects their lips; their hearts. 

The kiss is hard and desperate, and Finn feels Poe’s heartbeat against his chest. Their eyes are closed but Finn feels everything; feels his own emotions mixed in with Poe’s emotions and he gasps as Poe leans back; breaking their contact.

Poe’s eyes are wide as he stares at Finn and Finn mirrors his expression perfectly.

“That…”, Poe huffs but he cannot express what he just felt.

“The force”, Finn says before his lips break into a smile, “I felt you in the force”

Poe is still staring at Finn with an open mouth and Finn hugs him closer; presses their bodies together.

“How can that be?”, Poe mumbles against Finn’s shoulder.

“Rey has told me something about people that are close to the force; that have a special connection to the universe as well”, Finn smiles and Poe still looks stunned; Finn runs his fingers through Poe’s hair.

“I.. I have never felt anything like it”, Poe says and Finn nods in agreement.

“Do you want to feel it again?”, Finn grins then and Poe smiles as well before he lays his lips against Finn’s; their kiss fuelled by this new power between them; this fire that sets them alight.

“Poe!”

Kes Dameron smiles just like Poe does. Finn watches Poe walk over to his father – even run the last few meters – before he embraces him in a crushing hug. They both cry for a moment; their bond strong in the force, Finn can feel the love between them.

“Dad, this are Finn and Rey”, Poe says as he leads his father over to where they are standing.

“It is very nice to meet you”, Rey says as he shakes the older man’s hand, “I have heard so many stories about you”, she smiles and Kes nods along, a lazy smile hanging on his lips as well.

“And you must be Finn then?”, Kes asks and shifts his attention to the other man.

“Yes, sir. It is a pleasure to meet you”, Finn says and as he shakes Kes’ hand. He doesn’t look much like Poe – but his eyes have the same curiosity, the same determination.

“I have heard a lot about you”, Kes winks and Finn blushes hard.

“Dad!”, Poe hisses. Finn’s heart skips a beat as he sees the same blush hanging on Poe’s cheeks.

“The boy cannot shut up about you”, Kes adds and Rey chuckles silently next to them.

“Come on, I can show you around”, Poe mumbles quickly before he grabs his father by the jacket and drags him away.

“That was fun to watch”, Rey chuckles loudly now and Finn clutches his hands to his face, “Did you two make up yesterday?”, she adds, and Finn’s cheeks turn an even deeper red.

“I said make up, for force sake, Finn”, Rey laughs and Finn punches her playfully.

“We did, yes”, Finn says, the memories from last night still imprinted to his skin.

“Rey… did you ever feel Poe in the force?”

“No. Did you?”

“Well, I did yesterday, yes. We were lying in the tent and we touched, and I could feel something. He felt it too”

Rey smiles: it is genuine and warm and so wide that Finn is taken aback for a moment.

“That’s beautiful, Finn. You two have a special bond. Leia has told me that Poe’s family has always been quite close to the force; that they have a force sensitive tree next to their home. I think Poe has always felt something special in the universe. I am not surprised that you two are connected like that”, she explains while they walk towards their newly picked training grounds.

“It was intense. We held hands and I could feel it but then he ki…”, Finn stops and Rey’s eyes grow wide.

“You kissed?!”, she screeches, and Finn rubs his hand over his neck.

“Yeah we did”

“Rose owes me”, Rey cheers and Finn rolls his eyes.

“You didn’t really bet on this, did you?”

“Of course, we did. But she said it would take at least another month”

“You two are unbelievable”, Finn laughs and Rey hugs him quickly.

“I am happy for you, Finn”

Kes and Poe are sitting next to the fireplace in the middle of camp. They are holding mugs filled with some cheap booze and Kes is staring at the night sky.

“So, General Dameron, then?”, he asks and Poe nods while sipping on his drink.

“Acting General. I will make sure that there is going to be a voting once we have settled more”, Poe adds and Kes runs his finger along the rim of his mug.

“Only a total tool would not vote for you, kid”, Kes smiles up at Poe and they look at each other for a moment before their gazes fall to the fire again.

“Dad, what are you doing here?”, Poe asks then and Kes sighs deeply.

“Can I not visit my son?”

“That is not what I meant. It is not safe yet. You should not travel around alone”, Poe says, his voice full of anger and Kes shakes his head.

“I know how to look after myself, Poe”

“You are not as young anymore, dad. This is another war; this is another situation. You have survived once. You cannot risk this again”

“Rich coming from you!”, Kes barks back and Poe runs his hand over his eyes, “You have been fighting all your life. You have given this damn programme everything you have”

“What should I have done? They are all gone now. I cannot just leave. Leia is gone, okay. Dad. Leia is gone and I don’t know what I am doing on the best days, so this doesn’t help a lot”, Poe grits through his teeth and Kes swallows hard.

“I cannot believe she is dead”, Kes says then and Poe’s shoulders are tense; his whole posture filled with frustration; sadness.

“I couldn’t even say goodbye. She passed while we were away”, Poe says; his voice trembling; his hands too, “She passed this on to me, dad. I cannot disappoint her”

“You won’t. She has always been so proud of you”, Kes smiles, “just like your mother”, he adds, and a shiver runs down Poe’s back.

“I need you to go back home, dad”, Poe says after a few heartbeats, “I will come back after this is done. I promise. I will come home”

Kes stares at his son for a while; he has changed; his face older; his hair greyish – but his hands are as rough as ever from working on his ship all the time; his smile is as warm as ever; his smile is just like Shara’s.

“Don’t promise something like that”, Kes says and Poe bites his lip.

“I am sorry”

“I love you, Poe. And I understand. But do not risk everything for this, okay. There is a life after war. There is something beautiful about just enjoying life. You have a place to come home to, okay?”, Kes says then and Poe nods; he reaches over and squeezes his father’s hand for a moment. “We didn’t have the luck to enjoy peace. But I strongly believe that you will be able to; Rey, Finn, you… you all will know what it means to grow old and just live”

“I am happy to see you”, Poe says then and Kes smiles, bittersweet – glad that Poe is alive; heartbroken that his son reminds him so much of his wife.

Poe holds Finn tonight. His chest is pressed against Finn’s back and his breath is dancing over Finn’s neck. His mother’s ring burning hot between them. Finn wants the night to never end.

“Thank you so much, Lieutenant. The Resistance is forever in your depth”, Poe says as he shakes the Lieutenant’s hand and smiles widely.

“General Dameron, you have saved us all from a dark future. We are happy to help in any way possible”

They move camp this evening – the new planet has promising food supplies and water resources; Poe is actually smiling as they transport their little belongings to the new base. Finn and Rey help setting up the tents as Poe assists everyone to their sleeping quarters and starts to fill up their water flasks.

They all sit around the fire in the evening – the new planet is not as tropical as the last base camp, but the wind is still humid and clings to their skin.

“I talked to them again, we can stay here as long as there is no danger of attack from the remaining enemies. It should give us enough time to recover and regroup. To connect to our alliances and reform a Resistance which will be stronger than ever”, Poe says, and they all share a silent smile; a deep connecting feeling of hope which makes their hearts beat and their fingers tingle.

“We will finally truly win”, Rey says and Poe smiles warmly at her.

Finn is sitting next to Poe; their shoulders touching, and Finn’s hand slowly sneaks towards Poe’s hand. He lets his thumb run across the rough skin of Poe’s palm before he links their fingers. Poe turns his head and looks at him and Finn has to draw in a deep breath. The light of the fire dances across Poe’s features; dips his skin into a warm orange. Poe’s eyes crinkle as he smiles at Finn.

Finn feels him in the force; feels their bond strong between them. Finn is not afraid of the force anymore. Finn is ready to fight for all of this. He is ready to fight for a life of freedom; a life of own choices; a life filled with love.


End file.
